Feed Your Wild

32° N, 110° W

NOLS Southwest

Welcome to NOLS Southwest

Discover the rich and varied landscapes of the U.S. Southwest on your next adventure. Arriving on campus, you’ll find yourself surrounded by an iconic desert landscape dotted with saguaros and ocotillo. But the Southwest has far more to offer than sand and cacti--the wilderness classrooms you’ll explore range from the ponderosa pines of the high desert to narrow river canyons. The technical skills you can learn here are just as varied as the terrain, ranging from hiking and climbing to lightweight backpacking, whitewater canoeing, and caving. You can backpack through the “sky islands” of the Galiuro Mountains, isolated mountain ranges rising up out of vast expanses of desert. You can canoe the Rio Grande or rock climb at Cochise Stronghold, notable for its cultural and historical importance to the Apache as well as its climbing routes. The U.S. Southwest has a far-reaching and ongoing history of human presence, from the traces of ancient cultures you’ll see at Cliff Dwellings National Monument to the stories of indigenous communities, past and present, and water rights on the U.S./Mexico border. On semester courses, you’ll have the rare privilege of going caving, exploring underground in what feels like another world. And on every course, you’ll be captivated by the magic of the desert--the diversity and beauty of a landscape that you might’ve pictured as barren and empty.

About NOLS Southwest

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Southwest Outdoor Educator
Gain skills to teach in ...

Southwest Outdoor Educator

Gain skills to teach in the outdoors On this course designed for current and aspiring outdoor educators, you’ll work on the skills you need to lead, manage risk, and teach in the wilderness. Wake up ...

Southwest Spring Break Hiking - 18 to 22 only

Explore America’s oldest Wilderness On this course for 18- to 22-year-olds, discover a pristine desert and gain the skills to start a lifetime of exploring. Wake up and start cooking breakfast on a camp stove, ...

Spring Semester in the Southwest
Grow as a leader in ...

Spring Semester in the Southwest

Grow as a leader in the desert’s canyons and rivers Explore a living desert and find your leadership style on the Semester in the Southwest. Discover a desert that’s alive with coyote and javelina, mesquite ...

Women's Southwest Backpacking - Prime

Explore the wilderness of the Southwest On this course, join a group of motivated women to explore the unique “sky islands” of the Galiuro Wilderness. Wake up early and savor breakfast cooked on a camp ...

Southwest Lightweight Backpacking - Prime

Go light and fast through the desert Join a group of motivated adults to explore the remote corners of the American Southwest. On this course, you’ll explore the Gila National Forest, the United States’ first ...

Medicine in the Wild
Challenge yourself with this specialized ...

Medicine in the Wild

Challenge yourself with this specialized elective for 3rd and 4th year medical students. Offered in conjunction with the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (HAEMR) since 2006, Medicine in the Wild provides you an unparalleled opportunity ...